Would Relegation Even Be That Bad For Manchester City?

After Everton's 10-point penalty, Manchester City could be relegated if found guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial rules 115 times. So what?

After Everton received an immediate 10-point penalty for breaking the Premier League's financial rules, fans were quick to question what the implications might be for Manchester City.

Everton had admitted to one breach of the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.

In February, the Premier League charged City with 115 breaches of its financial rules between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons.

It is alleged that City did not provide accurate financial information, "in particular with respect to its revenue (including sponsorship revenue), its related parties and its operating costs".

Financial doping is basically what is alleged. But all charges have been denied by City, with the club's lawyers expected to put up one hell of a fight.

The club's denial and the vast scale of alleged wrongdoing mean that City's case may not be resolved until 2025, if not later.

That means that any punishment, if indeed there is one, is a long way off.

Nevertheless, lawyer Stefan Borson believes that Everton's 10-point penalty indicates that relegation is a genuine possibility when City's day of judgement finally arrives.

Another possible punishment that has been widely mooted is a 60-point penalty. Such a points deduction would have resulted in City being relegated had it been applied in eight of the past 10 seasons.

Borson, who used to give legal advice to City, tweeted on Friday that Everton's punishment "reinforces that sanctions against City" if proven "will be potentially relegation inducing."

Without seeing the judgment/award -10 points for Everton feels harsh for a straightforward FFP breach to me. But reinforces that sanctions against City (if proven) and now Chelsea (if charged and admitted on the off-books payments) will be potentially relegation inducing.

— slbsn (@slbsn) November 17, 2023

City being relegated from the Premier League to the EFL Championship would be huge news.

But would it really be that harsh of a punishment?

For Everton, relegation could be catastrophic. However, City's financial health - whether or not it has been cared for legally - is much stronger.

Assuming the club's owners remain committed, City would almost certainly bounce back from relegation at the first attempt.

The club would perhaps only miss two seasons of Champions League football and then things might even be back to normal.

If anything, relegation would probably provide quite an exciting platform for City and the club's supporters to reinvent themselves.

Winning the Premier League four, five, six years in a row might get a bit boring eventually. But imagine the smug joy that would result from winning it for the first time after being expelled. That kind of narrative could really revitalize City. It has been a long time since anyone, even ironically, referred to City as an underdog.

Relegation would also allow City's owners to diversify their portfolio of trophies by adding a shiny EFL Championship title to the silverware cabinet.

Manchester City has been a Premier League club since 2002 but could be relegated if found guilty of 115 breaches of financial rules :: IMAGO/Pro Sports Images/Simon Traylen

Since City's first alleged financial breach occurred during the 2009/10 season, the club has won seven Premier Leagues, three FA Cups, six EFL Cups, three Community Shields, one UEFA Champions League and one UEFA Super Cup.

Two victories in Saudi Arabia in December would see City add the FIFA Club World Cup to that list.

Although City's relentless winning of trophies since 2010 has allegedly been fueled by financial doping, these titles will not be revoked. It would make no sense. Reassigning the last three Premier League titles to Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United would be meaningless.

After all, City's players - regardless of how much it cost to bring them together - won those trophies on the field, fair and square.

It is not like the Calciopoli scandal in Italy that involved collusion with referees.

To the vast majority, financial doping is seen as a much cleaner crime than match-fixing. Many even regard it as a trivial issue.

Since 2010, a total of 21 trophies have been won by Manchester City  :: IMAGO/Action Plus/David Blunsden

If the Premier League finds City guilty of some or all of the alleged 115 breaches then, whatever punishment is handed out, the question will be: 'Was it worth it?'

Pep Guardiola has already answered that question.

Speaking at a press conference in February after City had been charged, Guardiola said of his team's achievements: "Those moments belong to us, regardless of the sentence.

He added: "The Premier League will decide but I know the effort we put in, what we won and the way we won it. If something happened in 2009 or 2010, it is not going to change one second.

"We lived these moments together for years."